Troy Tulowitzki calls for swift change

The Colorado Rockies were mired in what would amount to a seven-game losing streak when Troy Tulowitzki hit the disabled list for a hip injury nearly three weeks ago.

After three straight wins, the Rockies fell back into a funk with their star shortstop recovering, dropping nine of 10 to secure their place in the National League cellar.

Tulowitzki, who has begun taking batting practice as he rounds back into form for his return, said Wednesday he is fed up with the losing, according to a report in The Denver Post.

"I think that's why I came out numerous times and said I want to win," said Tulowitzki, who holds a large lead in the NL batting race with a .340 average. "It doesn't mean I want out of here. It means I'm sick and tired of losing."

The 29-year-old All-Star shortstop was hurt while running out a grounder at Pittsburgh late last month.

The trip to the disabled list was Tulowitzki's first this season but he has taken days off to rest his chronically tight legs. The leg issues date to 2008 when he tore the left quadriceps tendon.

"Something needs to change. Hopefully that comes fairly quickly," Tulowitzki said, according to the Post. "You can't force it. But at the same time, we're all frustrated with this year -- especially me."

Tulowitzki called for a renewed effort by the Rockies as baseball's season enters its home stretch.

"It's very hard," Tulowitzki said. "It'd be easy to just pack up things and throw these games away and say, 'Hey, we're out of this thing.' And move on to next year. But in that clubhouse, we need to finish strong and end on a good note. Some guys need to prove themselves for next year. And some guys need to get more experience to help out the team."

Tulowitzki said he has felt good with his batting practice work and hopes to continue progressing as he works to return to the lineup soon. He added he has seen some promise in the Rockies' effort and reason to believe they can turn their fortunes around next season.

"I don't see any quit," Tulowitzki said. "They come out here and play hard every single day. We've had some deficits we've overcome. And I think we would have (team) meetings if we didn't sense that. We're playing hard. And (manager) Walt (Weiss) has said the same thing."